Stranger
by maximum-donuts
Summary: EddyEdd, EdEddy, EddEd. // I tend to focus on EddEd here, also I'm very fond of visuals, expect many. // A bit of a growing up story. Love is had and lost, angst abound.
1. Define Me

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry !

**So this is the product of a friend of mine's story. We had a little fight and I read one of his stories just to prove I care, and I got inspired…**

**This really just evolved from I think the first paragraph of his story…if/when he speaks to me again I might post that one inspiring paragraph on here**

**I've got two chapters ready to go but the third one may take a while, sorries :(**

_Rated:_ T, Slash, angst, big words...yep yep!

Define Me:  
He sat atop a hillcrest, staring solemnly into the city below him. His knees to his chest, arms about his legs, hair plastered to his face as he watched the lights in that house dim. He could only imagine the look on that face, that round, joyous face, as he dimmed the lights for his new lover.

Leaves sizzled with the first storm of the summer, rain striking the earth in ways only Mother Nature herself would allow. Water pooled about his soaked body, a dent in the muddied dirt where he'd been resting, watching, stalking.

It'd been such a shock, such a letdown. Oh, how he'd surprised them, how they'd surprised him. He'd hidden in that room, so eager to please him. So sure he'd be pleased with that gift. What had seemed such a major piece of his evening, now simply strewn behind him in the mud.

They hadn't even noticed him. His frame silhouetted by the hall light as they stumbled, blindly, into the room, caressing each other, holding each other; he couldn't keep his hands off that stranger, he groped and prodded him like he couldn't have him soon enough. That tall "stranger", so dumbfounded at even the slightest of things, so, seemingly, clueless, groped and prodded back like it was all an act, all planned out. As if he'd sat at home and dreamed of this for so long.

Just as long as he'd planned that night, just as long as that meek little boy had saved up his allowance to buy that desolate gift. It was as if he had been dreaming, dreaming up the nights he'd spent with that strong-willed boy; maybe dreaming this horrific scene so close to him now.

But they were close enough for him to touch, he could hear the breathless moans they exchanged, a gasp springing from his lover's lips, a gasp that he'd never been able to pull out of him, and suddenly, that towering figure saw him. Finally, the rogue opened his eyes and pulled his lips back from his beau's neck to stare in silent shock at that writhing figure at the foot of the bed they were inching so close to.

He didn't notice, that round-faced boy in the arms of that brute, too preoccupied with his Romeo's other actions to worry about why he'd stopped blessing his sun burnt skin with those gentle, wet kisses. But Romeo was terrified. His eyes were wide with embarrassment as he watched that infuriated boy slip from the room without so much as a second glance.

And lust took over again, Romeo forgetting the earlier drama as he proceeded to claim his Juliet.

A bass growl seared the air, hammering through the rain, stubborn like only thunder can be stubborn. Jagged light sliced through the rumbling, barely giving it time to stop before cracking open the world beneath that wretched hillcrest. Revealing what he so longed to be a part of.

He was still, despite the jolting noise following the lightening strike. The storm lashed out like he craved to. It cried for him, it screamed for him, it mimicked his every primal desire. The rage he felt, the terror, the anguish, his confusion; such a new feeling, only adding to all the others he couldn't bring himself to understand, only enraging him more despite his refusal to acknowledge it.

Jealousy spiked inside him, it was such a pain surging through him he felt his digits tingle. His eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room behind the window he stared at so longingly. Figures ravished each other, stirring memories of the way he was taken, in that very bedroom, on the very bed they landed on so playfully.

They were playful with each other, what a revelation. So playful…it wasn't love they had for each other, it was lust…desire. His rigid frame loosened as he looked to his bare feet in contemplation, near joy. Had he a chance to reclaim his…love?

He hadn't been an object of lust, but of love. He wondered, was that so bad? Had it been so terrible to be loved instead of needed? Instead of knowing a quick fling in the back of a truck he knew what it was like to be held until dawn, eyes locked into those of his lover. Those eyes that had told him how beautiful he was, how brilliant he was, how special he was, how much he was…loved.

But never needed.  
Perhaps, it was better to be needed. If only he'd been an object of pure sexual desire instead of a needy…lover.

So many words tumbled through his mind, so many misleading words.

Love: A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.

Desire: A wish or longing, a request or petition. Sexual appetite; passion.

Definitions, book knowledge, nothing but what he'd ever read or been told. He hadn't any real feelings of his own…only when he was with _him_.

And now all he could do was watch that darkened window, watch that strong boy dominate the…love of his life. Love? There was that word again, so overused, so misused, what did he know about love? Why had he let himself be taken over so easily? Why had he been so susceptible to that conniving, misleading…monster?


	2. That Box

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry !

_Rated:_ T, Slash, angst, big words.

That Box:  
And revenge was his next emotion. So many emotions had pin wheeled through him so quickly, uncontrollably. He did little to stop it, now. He moved, backed only by pure testosterone. Turning to slide down the incline, toward the tree he'd left that gift- no…that burden by. Leaving the hilltop with pounding, agitated steps he made his way through the storm, through the pounding rain and surging thunder, to the door of Eddy's room.

Ha, so privileged, he had his own door to the outside world…to sneak a lover in, or for a jilted lover to sneak out, and yet he'd chosen the more dangerous, front door, dragging Ed through the entire house. It was as if he enjoyed the adrenaline rush he got from that risk.

Never, _never_, had he been forced through the whole house to Eddy's room, he always had to sneak in through that back door, unnoticed, hidden…unworthy.

Such hate was building inside him, even as he grasped the doorknob, he retched the door open, surely he heard something crack as he flung that wretched door wide open. The two were caught off guard by this terrifying display of strength and hatred.

Ed collapsed atop Eddy, his arms giving out from under him at the loud crash the door made when it slammed against the outside wall, bouncing back to usher Double D inside. He didn't waste time entering the pitch black room, long steps dragging his sopping wet form quickly inside.

The look on Eddy's face was priceless, shock, horror, amazement, lust…DD threw the box he'd brought for Eddy toward the sweaty couple, hearing a satisfying smack as it slammed into Eddy's face.

DD couldn't even find the words to explain his anguish, his hatred, his disgust. He just stood in his mess, heaving, fists clenched tightly at his sides as he surveyed what lay before him.

They'd had the decency to cover themselves, leaving him with little more than bare chests and sweaty bodies to reassure him of what they had been doing. Ed's, normally, spiky, orange hair was limp, his face was flushed. He had to turn away, hiding his face in Eddy's shoulder when he noticed the way DD was staring at him.

Eddy breathed just as hard as DD did, such a workout must have been just a little too much for that rat.

Eddy held Ed as he felt him hiding, trying to escape DD's gaze just as he, himself, wanted to. Rubbing his back in a weak attempt to comfort him, almost an unconscious attempt.

Such affection only enraged DD that much more. He shrieked as he slapped Eddy's hands from Ed's massive back.

How dare he try to comfort Ed! _Ed_! Of all people! What about him? Hmm? What about DD? What about the stereotypical jilted lover here? Didn't he deserve some slight comfort? After all, it was only his best friends in the world he'd watched…ugh…he couldn't even say it. Say it? He realized he'd spit all those words out without even thinking them over first.

He laughed sarcastically as he turned from the two, hiding his face with his hands as he felt hot tears seep out of his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair, knocking his hat from his head. He looked to it, remembering all the times Eddy had tossed that same hat so carelessly from his head.

Ed sobbed, he couldn't keep quiet anymore, he just sobbed.

Whipping around viciously at the noise, DD sneered at him, watching him recoil in pure fear. How pleasing, he had authority; he wouldn't be walked all over again would he?

Again? There would never be an again, not with them.

He shook his head wordlessly and left Eddy's room, walking through the cul-de-sac and into his own house, just walking. He hadn't bothered to grab his hat, to close Eddy's door, to even leave them with a sarcastic insult. He'd just left, just left them to their own devices.

He broke into a run as lightening lit up his house. Running up the stairs to his room, his front door left wide open to the still raging storm outside, he slammed the door to his room. Locking everything out with all the strength he had left.

Ed shivered as the wind blew rain in through Eddy's still open door, he hiccupped quietly, trying to squelch his sobs as Eddy wriggled out from under him to close the door.

Picking up DD's hat, Eddy sighed, sighed as if he'd lost something or as if he'd watch someone close to him lose something so dear to them, over such a long period of time.

He pulled on his boxers before sitting at the foot of the bed, cradling DD's hat in his hands. Ed's feet stuck out considerably over the edge of Eddy's small, round bed. He couldn't help but chuckle, holding one of Ed's massive feet in a gentle, soothing grip.

He sighed again, feeling the hat slip from his lap as Ed sat up to comfort Eddy now, still crying.

He held Eddy close, nestling his face against the disheveled, blonde hair as he hiccupped once more. Feeling those smaller arms wrap around his waist, his frame shaking with sobs. He smiled, cooing to Eddy through his own tears.

The box DD had left teetered on the edge of the bed, wobbling between safety and peril…


	3. Hot Rod

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry!

**Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, and I'm sure it isn't what you all expected, but I'm working on building this story up. Hopefully I can update fast enough to answer any of your questions and keep you all amused! **

**Thanks for the feedback!**

_Rated:_ T: Grown up situations

Hot Rod:  
Eddy sat at an outdoor café on Lilac Street, in the middle of Apricot Square, with his nose buried in the foam of his bitter, overpriced latte, Edd was gleefully chattering on beside him about some meaningless type of scientific-gossip. Deeper and deeper he sank into the creamy, coco-dusted froth that lightly rested atop his six dollar, 4 ounce coffee, straining to block out DD's high-pitched yammering. At 19, DD still retained the voice of a seven year old, God, when was his voice finally going to crack?

Across the street, in front of an independently owned consignment boutique, Ed was diligently polishing his stunning, 1969, Chevrolet Camaro. At 18 he'd found the car in the Peachcreek junkyard, and had it up and running in just under a few weeks, thanks to the automotive treasure littering his father's backyard. DD had recently helped Ed pay for a new paint job. The glittering yellow that coated the vintage ride constantly needed upkeep, in Ed's opinion; he just couldn't get enough of that dazzling white gleam.

Cradling his chic, black coffee mug in both pudgy palms, Eddy nursed his afternoon yuppie-buzz, entranced by the leather-clad mech-head, and his Chamois Leather polishing Shammy across the way. Drumming his stubby fingers on the ceramic, his heels tapping impatiently on the concrete beneath the wrought iron mesh-table he sat at with his companion, Eddy mentally begged for another glance at the luscious skin hiding beneath Ed's vintage Frankenstein T-shirt.

Sitting straight up as Ed leaned across the roof of his Chevy, pink-tinged, sunburnt skin peeking out from beneath the ratty hem of Ed's beloved Franken-T, a loud cough, one obviously meant to clear the throat, drug Eddy up out of his stupor and forced him to make eye contact with his lover. Watching DD survey his face, obviously searching for some type of response made Eddy's skin crack.

"Were you listening to a single word I said?" DD was sardonically sipping his steamy chai tea as he nag nag nagged Eddy for getting lost in his own mind again. The willowy teen leant forward to get a good look at what Eddy had been staring at over the black gate that segregated the Café-goers from the average Joe traveling down the sidewalk to the 9-5 job they all had, straining to see through the white-robed customer at the table beside them.

"I was thinking how great you'd look in one of those…old-school newsboy caps, you know? The grey, wool ones?" He struggled to keep his voice low and smooth as he diverted DD's attention back to himself, hiding himself again in his latte; as if he'd seriously drink that horse shit.

Flustered and blushing, DD immediately looked to his nonchalant partner, and queried, "Oh, really? Hmm…" before finishing his beverage, his brows cocked with curiosity as he obviously pictured himself in said cap. Glancing back toward the boutique, DD caught sight of a Hot Rod Whore lowering her oversized behind into the passenger seat of Ed's newly upholstered, first generation Z 28 Chevy Camaro, feigning interest in every mechanical phrase Ed bashfully sputtered out.

Tugging on Eddy's designer polo, playing on his partner's vanity to gain his attention quickly, DD urged Eddy to help their companion and chauffeur.

His eyes darted toward the incident at DD's persistence. He set his mug down, stood up to his full height of five feet nine inches, and swaggered masculinely through the gate and across the street where he easily removed the mini-skirted skank from Ed's presence. Having saved him from certain doom and venereal disease, he led Ed across the street, to finally join his friends in the afternoon out they'd intended to have.

Eddy couldn't help thinking how forbidden a fruit Ed was as the atypical "dumb lug" lowered himself clumsily into an iron mesh chair next to DD.

DD scolded Eddy one evening, after, having met a high school sophomore Ed was "dating", the vulgar Senior had commended Ed on his choice of "ass".

"Sleeping with Ed would be like...well, statutory rape!" DD huffed; embarrassed by Ed thoroughly agreeing with something he completely misunderstood.

"His underdeveloped mind leaves him naive and virginal. He wouldn't understand sex if he experienced it first hand."

"The guy's gonna be 20 in the fall, he ain't all that stupid…" Eddy retorted

Defensive, DD was quick to respond, "I never referred to him as 'stupid' Eddy, I'm simply stating the facts. He was blessed with an eternally juvenile mind, life will always seem simple and easy to him. Sex is never simple or easy."

Eddy'd had to bite back a sarcastic response.


	4. In The Car

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry!

_Rated:_ T; it's starting to get hot and heavy now.

In The Car:  
17 years old already and DD hadn't even thought about attempting to earn a driver's license. His neurotic nature had sent countless worries streaking through his already overly cautious mind. Yet, tonight he was positioned behind the steering wheel of a coughing Chevy junk-heap. In the dimly lit parking lot behind the old Intermediate school, DD found himself hungrily riding his best friend Ed.

He faced the steering wheel, perhaps due to embarrassment, or an inability to look at the striking body he was taking advantage of. He was pinned against the wheel, his hands planted on the faded black dashboard, and he thanked the automotive god the horn was shot.

Heavily breathing in the musky scent of the untidy teen's car, DD's mind finally stopped racing. It finally refrained from spitting out probable failures, likely disasters, and certain pitfalls of his situation. For once all he saw when he closed his eyes was brilliant shades of blue, red, and green. His mind was working at a far simpler pace; even assigning uncomplicated names to the colors that replaced the complex math equations behind his eyelids.

Ed's oversized hands could squash DD's petite waist at any second, but despite the mind-numbing pleasure the elder teen was experiencing (at least DD hoped it was mind-numbing), he refrained from tightening his grip on the pale, square frame that was at his mercy.

DD's neatly trimmed nails were torn into rough hang nails in a matter of minutes due to the pressure he was putting on them. His clawing at the dashboard surely scuffed up the soft vinyl exterior, and would be a reminder to Ed, and himself, for the rest of the car's existence.

His mind was forced into a shooting rainbow explosion for the fourth and final time, his willing body gave into the mindlessness and his forehead dropped to the steering wheel before him. His body moved of its own accord, forcing itself into normally intolerable positions and strain in order to achieve the ultimate climax.

His senses finally returning to him, DD immediately used his knit cap to sop up the mess he'd created, but Ed's strong arms lifted him from his perch and laid him across the single front seat. Following his lovers body, Ed, supported by his elbows on either side of DD's head, rested himself between DD's legs; his hands fit perfectly behind DD's head, his fingers were immovably entwined in his dark, sweaty locks, his brilliant green eyes fixed steadfastly on DD's own honey brown orbs.

The warmth he was immersed in, his lover's larger body enveloping his own, was enough to send DD into a whole new feeling of Euphoria, one that overwhelmed the brightly colored ecstasy of earlier.

His right hand fell limp, dropping the damp cap over the floor shift. His newly freed hand reached up to caress the sweaty, taut skin across Ed's back, but he caught himself just in time.

The will power it took to force himself out of Ed's loving embrace was enviable. He backed himself up against the passenger door, his weak-wristed hands, clutching Ed's shoulders, ineffectively forced Ed away from him.

"I said 'Good bye' Ed" DD's cracking voice went up an octave as Ed fell back on his haunches, the amazingly serene grin that had earlier graced his handsome face falling away to confusion, and then sadness.

DD dressed quickly, awkwardly in the cramped space of the car, his eyes never leaving Ed's prone form. The 6'4 teen had slumped behind the steering wheel, his boxer briefs the only thing he'd managed to tug on before losing himself in his own sadness.

A shaky sigh left DD's mouth as he pulled the worn silver handle to open the door behind him, he was searching his mind for the right thing to say, knowing he could never forgive himself for leaving Ed in such a vulnerable state.

"I'm in love with Eddy now." It was all he could squeeze out, and the intensified sadness that wrought Ed's strong features threw DD, stumbling from the car. Clutching his cap in his hands, sulking toward the near by cul-de-sac he and Ed lived in, his guilt gave way to anger. And soon he was easily placing the blame on Ed.

_He's the one who began all this, well…not all of this, but tonight! I only wanted to speak with him, but his puny mind could only process alone time as a possible chance to have sex. I can not be blamed for his juvenile way of thinking._

He refrained from pulling his cap on punctuatedly, it was still covered in…him.

_After all, I am in love with Eddy now. Perhaps I loved Ed earlier but now my heart belongs to Eddy._

Quickly arriving at the door of the aforementioned Eddy's home, DD marched up the front steps and knocked determinedly on the door.

His call was answered by the incessantly home alone teen, and before DD had a chance to run a cold wash on his mysteriously stained beanie, Eddy had the weak, slender boy at his mercy on the family couch.

Eddy had always been far more romantic than Ed.


	5. Clean Start

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry!

**Heads Up: I may not have gotten some minor details right, such as the colors of DD's house, but This is how I saw it, and if it honestly bothers you all that much, insert the right color where need be when you're reading it.**

**Also: Thanks for waiting  
**

_Rated:_ T; For constant teen situations, or some such.

Clean Start:  
His thick, unkempt fingers plowed through the fabric that made up the pockets of his unwashed jeans. His black converse high tops, the toe having torn loose long before school was out in the right one, were nervously drug across the coarse welcome mat that lay before the door of DD's uninviting house, not home. His shoulders were slumped in an ever unconscious manner that brought him closer to the average person, and the sun-bleached ginger atop his head fell limp into his eyes; green eyes which teemed with swollen blood vessels screaming their fury of another night's sleep missed.

He leaned forward as he continued to clean the never ending filth from his sneakers, peering about the doorframe, past the delicately placed red door and into the kitchen, where DD was not. He turned his gaze to the left, and found no sign of DD in the living room either. He looked to the floor, where a single run of carpet led to the bottom of the staircase, and then he looked to his suddenly still feet. This wouldn't do at all.

Newly-barefooted and clumsy as ever, Ed drug himself to the foot of the stairs. His hands curled into fists within his pockets as he warily lifted and placed one foot on the second stair.

'Mustn't be loud, Ed. Mustn't make a mess Ed. Mustn't cause trouble Ed.' His mind played the familiar nagging voice on repeat.

He took the stairs two at a time, his lengthy legs finding more comfort this way.

'They just make these stairs so darn close together…it's like I'm walking on top of myself!'

As he walked he stared at the top of the staircase. At the pastel colored walls and matching rugs, at the Ethan Allen wood table that served as a home for the antique telephone in the hallway upstairs; one of the few reminders that DD had once had a mother who cared enough about something other than her job to spend time decorating it . He watched as the four doorways of the second floor came into view: the linen closet at the end of the hall, DD's parents' room at the immediate left followed by DD's bathroom, and then his room on the right, just before the telephone.

When he'd reached the final stair, he stood stiff atop it, not daring to venture into the newly swept territory.

It was void of yellow.

Ed couldn't help but notice the alarming lack of sticky notes he'd grown so used to in his childhood.

Such a menial thought triggered the memory of his last visit to DD's home, before all of this had happened; before he lost DD completely, before he caused more damage than he'd ever been caused himself.

--

DD's home was littered with yellow sticky notes, then.

'Eddward, the coffee pot needs a wipe down. Would you, dear? –Mom'

Which he'd done.

'The yard's been neglected, and fall is here, rake the leaves into a garbage bag and leave it by the side of the road for pick-up. Don't forget, trash day is Thursday. -Dad'

Which he'd politely asked Ed and Eddy to help him with.

'The living room's a mess, son, the dust is really bothering your father's allergies, give it a good dusting. –Mom'

Which he'd diligently done, despite his own raging allergy to dust.

Ed remembered wondering why DD hadn't bothered to throw the completed sticky notes away, but quickly his attention had been grabbed by the obnoxious sound of war bursting from the Television's speakers; expensive, surround sound speakers.

Eddy sat on the living room floor, his back propped lazily against the foot of the couch, a generic video game controller in his pudgy hands. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he focused on the WWII video game flashing across the screen before him.

Ed relaxed into the couch, stretching one arm over the back of it so he could better turn to watch DD, on hands and knees, scrubbing the tile of the kitchen floor. He opened his mouth to call out to him, to ask him to join his friends, to put down the one-use-only-sponge in his hand and curl up next to Ed…

He drummed his fingers on the hidden, wooden frame of the couch where they rested, and shut his mouth, studying DD's meticulous habit. He wondered what form of unseen dirt the neurotic boy was scrubbing at. And he wondered, just how often did DD's parents come home? Often enough to notice if he'd missed a single day of cleaning?

Or perhaps sporadically enough that he needn't miss a day, incase they chose that particular night to return home.

"War's on TV, DD!" He hadn't given himself a chance to think over what he was going to say, and the nonsense that fell out of his mouth was unnerving.

"Not now Ed, I have to finish this before Mother comes home. And Eddy, would you please refrain from leaving your sopping wet cup on the hard word floor?" He had sat back on his feet, hands perched on his hips while he scolded Eddy. "The mark that will leave will never come up! There's absolutely no way to mend that sort of thing." He returned to cleaning as Eddy grumbled, finishing off the carbonated beverage he'd helped himself to upon entering DD's home, and hastily set the newly emptied glass on a coaster positioned strategically on the end table by the couch.

He mindlessly continued his game.

Ed sighed quietly, his hands coming together in his lap and falling between his spread knees as he leant forward, his elbows on his thighs for support.

His eyes became glued to the screen in front of him, his vision blurring as he forgot to blink.

He absently wondered how DD could appear to be such an incredibly unfeeling person.

After that night in the Chevy Ed knew he'd become an outcast amongst his closest friends. How could they allow him back in their tight-knit circle now? Just the two of them, in the most intimate of situations, and mere days after Ed had sampled such a magnificent thing in DD.

Sampled it? He'd stolen it.

DD was in love with Eddy now, how could he bear to look at Ed again after all that they'd shared? How could he possibly stand to be around Ed in such a setting, let alone be so damn friendly about it? As if nothing had ever happened.

DD was either heartless, or dutiful.

Four days ago Ed had discovered Eddy knew nothing of his tryst with DD. How could he? That thick head of his wouldn't allow anything in other than the completely obvious, and they hadn't been the least bit suspicious in public, had they?

Perhaps that was how DD managed to remain friends with Ed, out of necessity. Why, if something as drastic as dropping all contact with one of his only friends had happened, everyone would have become concerned for DD. Even hard-headed Eddy.

Definitely, dutiful.

"Ed, don't sit so close to the TV, you'll ruin your eye sight." DD poured the practically clean solution from the bucket he'd been using to mop the floor, into the sink. He hadn't needed to scrub that way.

"Sorry DD." Even his voice lumbered. What an embarrassment he must have been to the graceful be-hatted boy in the kitchen, no wonder their romance couldn't have gone any further. Ed relaxed back into the couch, his head falling languidly backwards, his eyes closing to allow them the rest they needed.

Groaning, Ed arched his back in a stretch. What an uncomfortable position he'd been in! His head fell further backward in retaliation to his body bending.

Ed opened his eyes to check again on DD, and instead caught sight of a single yellow sticky note attached to the black cordless phone on the wall behind him.

'Eddward, your father and I shall be late tonight, fix yourself some spaghetti for supper. –Mom'

Squinting, having trouble reading upside down, Ed realized he hadn't seen that sticky note before, not unlike most of the other, likely hundreds of, sticky notes scattered about the house.

Resituating as Eddy yanked on his pant leg, demanding he join the stocky teen in a rousing versus match, Ed chuckled, pleased to have something else to occupy his mind, and momentarily forgot about the briefly disturbing note.

He held the controller in his hands, reminding himself of the commands, and wondered what DD was cooking for them as the crashing of pots and pans began to echo into his ears.

He couldn't remember the last time DD had fixed spaghetti for dinner.

--

Hearing the gentle thud of the door knocking into the wall behind him, Ed remembered he'd forgotten to close it. In his daze he'd allowed one foot to hover dangerously over the Easter-Egg-Pink rug that welcomed one into the upstairs hallway

He began to remove one hand from his oversized pocket to steady himself, readying to right the wrong which he had committed, but before he had time to turn back around and close the door, as he'd been reminded time and time again to do, he saw the cornflower blue door to his right open, and a thin frame, dressed in little more than an unbuttoned pajama top, stop dead in its tracks.


	6. Excuse

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own nor profit from the Eds, sorry!

**Thank you.  
Sorry it's taken so long, sorry it's not slash, and sorry it's so wordy.  
But, thank you.  
For reading, commenting, critiquing, and waiting.**

**I've put together a chart with the boys' ages and the timeline of this topsy turvy story, if you need it/want it, comment and I'll post it as a separate story or some such.**

**Heads Up: I may not have gotten some minor details right, such as Eddy's first name along with his brother's, but this is how I saw it, and if it honestly bothers you all that much, insert the right Name where need be when you're reading it.**

_Rated:_ R: Language, discrimination

_Excuse_  
"It's called 'True Destinies.'" Eddy couldn't help smirking at the underlying homosexual tones in the very name of the place.

"They have an 89 percent success rate!" His mother's normally soothing voice raised an octave as she tried desperately to make this sound appealing to him. He closed his eyes when he noticed how she wavered in spouting off another statistic.

"Um…'46 percent of boys emerge with next to no homosexual tendencies in only four weeks.' Four weeks Edwin!"

_My name is Eddy.  
_  
"It'll be just like that summer you went to camp with-" Her mouth hung open in pause as she peered towards his looming father. Yes, all of his memories were with DD and Ed, there was no avoiding it now.

The beefy, pink forearms of his father tensed, veins visibly straining as a preliminary grumble emitted from deep within the patriarch's chest.

"You don't have a choice, its gay-hab camp, or you're homeless." A stifled sniffle came from his father's side as Eddy's mom tried to maintain composure.

_Come on, mom, you're not this closed-minded, are you?_

"If you work real hard," a disbelieving grunt from his father, Eddy had never worked hard a day in his life, "You'll be home again in…a month!" Rosy hands reached across the kitchen table for Eddy's, he hadn't the strength to avoid them.

_You're just weaker than him, is all, right?_

A comforting squeeze was given to the hand his mother's found, and she was uncomfortably patient in awaiting his acknowledgment of her.

When his blue eyes finally met hers, the signs of an overworked, underappreciated woman were evident in her face. She forced a smile, and he could tell she still loved him.

If not because she was his mother, but because she felt guilty for raising him as poorly as she obviously had.

A single nod was given by the reluctant teen, and his father pushed impatiently away from the kitchen table to return to his den, where he would likely do extra-manly things to make up for his son's faggotry.

Shaking his hand free, Eddy stormed off in a similar fashion, retreating to the confines of his recently ransacked room. Stumbling through the chaos his father had created in searching for signs of his son's sexuality, Eddy barely made it to the bathroom before he lost control of his emotions.

The normally stone cold teen broke into a downright wail, his bare knees cracking against the floor of his bathroom as he struggled to quell his agony. His face falling into the crook of his arms, his fingers knotted in the tangles of blonde atop his head, his body falling limp against the sting of freezing linoleum.

His family was slowly disowning him. He'd be stuck at some homosexual rehabilitation camp for six months, minimum. And he was slowly beginning to wonder if maybe he deserved it.

--

The sound of Eddy's doorknob turning went unnoticed as Ed comforted him. Only when the storm ceased momentarily in its raving display of anger did Eddy hear the tell-tale signs of an eaves-dropper. And by then it was too late.

Scrambling to find his clothing, Eddy screamed at J.D. to get out. Screamed. Ed had fallen off the bed when Eddy had unceremoniously leapt from his arms, knocking the wind out of the towering teen. Hurling some heavy chachke at his older brother, Eddy whispered at Ed to escape through the window across from his bed. Ed's slow wit left him dumbfounded, murmuring a question, and dangerously vulnerable.

Eddy's initial poor aim, plus his distraction and frenzy had ensured the knickknack would land just to the left of his doorframe, putting a hole through his wall and effectively stirring the whole house, if his feminine howl hadn't already.

Unwavering, J.D. merely released the doorknob, allowing the door to open fully as the demented 20-something let Eddy dig his own grave…it saved him from the implications.

Within minutes Eddy's father had barreled past his brother, some manner of defensive weapon in hand, flicked on the lights of his youngest son's bedroom and found a gangly, naked teen sprawled on Eddy's floor, Eddy a mere seven feet away, propped against the opposite wall, trousers half on, looking incredibly guilty.

Ed had been lucky enough to find a purple sheet to cover his business with, but the embarrassed blush that spread across the incredible amount of bare skin left naked led one to believe only the worst.

Squinting through the bright light, Eddy's mother had been the first to make the connection. Grasping J.D.'s bicep she tugged just as mightily as she could, straining to give Eddy what little privacy two less sets of prying eyes in his room would give him, but the younger, stouter boy easily fought off her advances; his twisted sense of curiosity begging to be indulged with his brother's slick excuse for this one.

But Eddy had none.

The awkward silence was broken when their father's explosive temper reared its unpredictable head, and the piece of trim he grasped was swung mercilessly at Ed's face.

Even J.D. jumped at the sound of Walnut Wood breaking against flesh.

Thankful this particular piece of refurbishing hadn't any pin nails, Eddy could only watch as the astonished boy fell limply against the foot of his bed.

Sliding down the wall he'd leaned against for support earlier, his knees finally giving way at the sight of his father beating his lover with a thin piece of Walnut Tree, Eddy begged silently for peace; for the right to shoulder the brunt of this attack.

The sturdy 20 year old easily fended off the winded 50-something, the initial blow dizzying him only momentarily. A strategically placed forearm halted the attack long enough for Ed to don his underwear, backwards, and leap out of the back door, jeans in hand. Eddy caught a glimpse of the already purpling bruise around Ed's left eye and the jagged rip in the skin over his cheekbone.

A single hand covered his face, the back of his head knocking into his wall, as he sighed out his frustrations and slowly accepted whatever was about to hit him.

--

The tender parts of his hands were red and purple where blood vessels had burst beneath the pressure he'd put on them for the 45 minutes his father had taken to rip his room to shreds. J.D. had attempted to sway Eddy elsewhere, perhaps into their parents' room where their wet-faced mother awaited the verdict she already damn well knew.

But, a coercive blow to his stomach had sent J.D. reeling back to his own quarters, he didn't need this.

Eddy continued to pound on the door, demanding entrance, swearing to tell his father whatever he wanted to know, promising to obey any orders he was given.

When his father jerked open the door, leaving the scantily clad teen dumbfounded and stumbling backwards, Eddy wondered if he could truly obey _any_ orders given.

"Shut your whore-mouth, Eddy." A blunt finger was jabbed into his chest, his enraged father nose to nose with him, and Eddy could only open his mouth in staggered surprise.

"A-a-anything dad…anything!" His plea had started out as apologetic, but as Eddy caught sight of what was in his father's free hand Eddy's voice rose into anger, and the chubby teen straightened to an intimidating stance.

His father had found the gift DD had left.

Eddy hadn't even had time to see what was inside of it before its contents had been violated and stolen from beneath his nose.

He wanted it back.

"I got all I need to know, Eddy." The authoritative sound in his father's skin-tighteningly calm voice caused Eddy's ears to pound, and his vision to blur.

Just what the fuck had he found, huh? What could Sockhead have squeezed in to that box that could implicate Eddy so?

"What is it?" Eddy's voice had lowered in his humiliation and anger, but his father simply turned his back and entered his own room where the box was tossed to his wife.

"Huh!? What is it!? Dad! DAD! Nudie pics? A box of fucking condoms? WHAT!?!" The door was slammed in his face and he was left in the hallway to imagine what else it could have been.

--

"Faggot."

_Oh, God damn it.  
_  
Eddy had forgotten to close his bathroom door.

"Fucking, queer. What the hell were you thinking, princess?"

Eddy ground his teeth and crushed the pads of his fingers into his scalp. He wouldn't lower himself to his oppressive brother's level.

"I always knew that goofy kid was strange in the head…but I figured you'd be fucking normal...shit, Eddy."

His brother spoke as if Eddy's sexual orientation was a personal attack. DD's years of lecturing him on his brother's selfishness, closed-mindedness, and flat out ignorance, suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and it was just another one of those things he had to regret.

The lack of response from his younger brother knocked the fire out of J.D. His eyes narrowed and he shook his head in a disapproving manner, nothing new to Eddy.

"…Faggot." And he was gone.

Eddy hadn't the mind to hear his brother's shaky tone, or look up to witness the red face of a liar, all he heard was the hurt and pain his brother had meant to cause him.

--

Four days later Eddy sat staunchly mute in the backseat of his mother's suburban, peering solemnly out of the tinted widow. His brother rode shotgun, and his father had accepted the offered overtime at his Mill job two towns over.

"You won't regret this, Edwin!" His mother double checked the luggage he'd packed as she reassured him six minutes earlier, "You'll be home in no time at all and everything will be normal!"

_No it won't…no I won't…and my name is Eddy._

His forehead fell dully onto the window, he thanked God Ed's house was on the other side of the street as he heard Rolf calling to the awkward boy. He knew Ed was standing on the sidewalk blubbering like the retard he was, and Eddy couldn't handle seeing that right now.

But the red door of DD's house was difficult to miss, and Eddy finally gave himself the chance to realize what all he was going to be living without. Even if he did make it out of that camp alive, with all his senses intact, DD would never speak with him or Lumpy again.  
He knew Ed couldn't handle losing his only friend, but Eddy wondered if he could survive living without that geeky son of a bitch himself.

The Lemonsquare Realty sign in DD's yard was the last thing Eddy saw of Peachcreek that day.


	7. At First

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry!

**It's taken a couple months for me to update, I'm sorry. And I refuse to get your hopes up, but I have a few new chapter ideas swelling my mind to mythic proportions. Updates may be sooner than late.**

**For the kind words: You are what keeps me going.**

**For the silent readers: I obsessively check my story traffic, I know you're there, and I hope you're enjoying this.**

**What can I do better?**

_Rated:_ T, I've yet to use the name of a sexual organ…so we'll keep it at Teen.

At First:  
The sound of a delicately blown nose brought a wakeful grin to Ed's face. Single-handedly he fumbled for his boxers amidst the temporary mess to the left of DD's bed, refusing to open his eyes just yet as he listened to the morning noises across the hall. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as the saying goes, Ed donned his shorts and lumbered to DD's bathroom. Silently he trekked over the refreshingly chilled tile to lay his mammoth hands around a pair of, to him, shockingly small hips. The hips he held were freezing, cold enough to be felt through the modest pajamas DD wore. An obvious shiver ran though DD at the warmth and shocking presence of his lover, but he comfortably relaxed in to Ed's strong stomach, dropping the Puffs Plus facial tissue he'd used all up into the waste bin, practically placed between the sink and toilet.

"Is it cold?" Ed's dopey voice brought a complacent smile to DD's features.

"The air conditioner is lower than usual; it seems you are far more warm-blooded than I, Ed. And while I may be chilled, only when I am away from you, it is worth the minor discomfort…for you to feel at home." He had turned in his long-winded answer; one slender hand trailing over the miniscule whiskers Ed's quickly maturing face had sprouted overnight, to punctuate his response with a kiss. As his hand fell to his lover's shoulder he hoisted himself up on to his toes in order to reach his lover's dry, morning breath enhanced lips.

Ed's heart forgot to beat.

"M- My nose gets stuffy when it's cold too…" Ed's voice had lowered as he forced DD to maintain the minimal distance between their faces. A nearly indiscernible nose bump was delivered as Ed searched DD's eyes for any sign of discomfort.

An obvious blush edged on to DD's cheeks as he considered his reply.

"My nose is 'stuffy' because of last night." His decision to keep his reassurance simplistic was unintentional. The gravity of the previous night's realization had left DD dumbfounded; he was lost in his own thoughts.

A blush similar to DD's darkened Ed's sun-ripened complexion. Downturned eyes on DD's part kept the smaller boy from clarifying…or blushing further upon noticing Ed's mind had gone elsewhere.

DD had come to terms with his newfound sexuality only fourteen hours earlier. He had been playing some generic card game with Ed, Eddy was on a camping trip with his brother and father, when he realized, for the twenty-ninth time that day, that Ed was a hunk.  
An unexpected breakdown had left Ed, the poor sap, stumbling over half-formed consolations and the urge to hold his blubbering friend. DD had cried for three hours and sixteen minutes, (the neurotic had timed himself, perhaps in an effort to make it up to Ed one day) and a blackberry sorbet break near the end of his breakdown had left DD's mouth red and too difficult not to laugh at. And God knows how contagious Ed's laughter is. High off their laughter and full of the hormones every teenage boy was made of, the boys had shared an awkward first kiss.

Ed couldn't, for the life of him, remember who had made the first move. But then again, he didn't care. They had found themselves tangled in each other's arms on the kitchen floor, Ed unwittingly pinning DD to the cupboard beneath the sink as he finally experienced a human connection.

At DD's urgings the pair had traveled, slowly and awkwardly, still caught up in each other, to DD's room, where, quite suddenly in DD's opinion, a relationship that had never solidly existed, was clumsily consummated.

Ed had never truly known what sex even was. Eddy had been chock full of misleading facts and stories, but caught up in the loving embrace of a truly captivating boy was nothing compared to 'taking a broad from behind'.

Ed's own sexuality had been unquestioned. He hadn't the mindset to understand the repercussions loving another boy could have. He was too simple-minded to complicate love, and upon seeing the boy he now understood he loved in desperation, his body's first instinct was to hold that boy closer than he believed was humanly possible.

He would later admit, during those three hours and sixteen minutes, he had lost himself in wondering if the Alien ability, of the SpaceMarfs from planet Hexalon, to absorb similar species for safety was a buyable item on Ebay.

The initial experience had been horrifying. DD had been in excruciating pain and Ed had been too blind with lust to notice his own discomfort. But a second go after an hour or so's rest and reassuring on DD's part, would be the moment DD remembered as when he lost his virginity.

The couple, young and new at this, had had enough energy and lust for a third round, but Ed's strong arms had faltered under the strain and DD's wise decision to end it before he was squished left Ed with blue balls.

Which Ed didn't mind so much. Or really understand.

Seven hours of sleep later DD's internal clock had reminded him he had chores to do that day, which would go so much quicker with an extra set of hands.

If only they could have kept themselves out of DD's bed, which the meticulous teen had demanded was the only place they would fool around in his house, the chores would have been finished far before dark.

The decision to keep their romance a secret was a silent but mutual one. They would come out when it was time.

Eddy returned two days later, none the wiser.


	8. Second Glance

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds, sorry!

**A story within a story, isn't that how this entire fanfiction has gone so far?**

**I hope the mashed up, unorganized, unpredictable chaos of this story is only enticing you rather than dissuading you.**

**What are your thoughts? You all mean the world to me.**

**For those of you who've never noticed, I tend to pick over these chapters once I've published them. So feedback is taken to heart, please, let me hear it.**

_Rated:_ T

Second Glance:  
The rarely seen black he'd snipped from the nape of his neck, ever so carefully, had fallen in a mess at his elbows. The white of his mother's makeup vanity caused the black of his disjointed hair to pop, and the enormity of his decision shook him to the core upon witnessing the product of his self mutilation.

A long-fingered hand weaved in to the thick hair at the back of his head, searching for the out of place tuft from which he'd chopped the lock of ebony.

Four deep breaths. It took DD _four_ deep breaths and a ridiculous inner monologue directed at the man in the mirror to gather up the strength needed to finish his mission.

_'This is the next step, Eddward. This is what you need in your life, right now. You're making this out to be much more dramatic than it truly is!'_

With a huff, he continued.

He tied the tiny bundle of hair to a rolled up note and a small silver antique; the precious package was placed on the stiff cotton packing of the ivory box his $600 monthly allowance had been splurged on.

He hadn't needed all of that money, anyways.

_'You have more than enough food, your bills have been paid for you, and now that you're nineteen,'_

_Nineteen_. At last, he was recognized as an adult.

_'Now that you're nineteen…that savings account is finally available...you're well off and ready for this commitment; it is now or never.'  
_  
Again, he reassured himself this was the right decision.

A substantial savings account, created, when he was only just conceived, by his parents and deemed accessible only after his nineteenth birthday, contained enough cash to support his uneventful lifestyle and then some. It truly was now or never.

The white gold locket that had originally been stored in the box lay delicately at DD's collar bone, filled with Eddy's stark blonde clippings and catching the light just perfectly. A shaky thumb and forefinger fidgeted with the locket as he surveyed his slender form.

He thought the overpriced piece of jewelry fit him perfectly.

And what luck, to obtain a bit of his beloved's platinum curls! Eddy's messy home had, for once, proved fruitful to the resourceful teen. Eddy's mother had, days earlier, trimmed her son's mane, the benefits of free outweighing Eddy's vanity.

A fifth deep breath and DD was diligently affixing a dark blue ribbon about the small gift. Tonight would be the night DD would present Eddy with his…present. A snicker escaped DD, his humor was cheesy but it soothed his nerves.

After admiring his amateur gift wrapping, DD slinked off to his parents' luxurious bathroom to wash up.  
His fragile locket was carefully removed and placed in his mother's red-velvet lined, marble jewelry case for safe keeping.

The jewelry box had been a gift his father had nervously presented to his mother on their wedding night. It had been one of the few items his mother, not one to be materialistic, had continued to relish.

He knew his locket would remain safe in that jewelry box, and it would be the only place he'd allow it to be stored.

Having already disrobed, all DD had to do was run his bath water and light the soothing candles his mother had strategically placed at equal intervals around the room to attain optimum relaxation.

The opulence of the master bathroom gave DD the boost of confidence the lacking teen needed that night.

He'd opted for the extravagance of a bubble bath as opposed to the military grade shower he normally took. An oatmeal soak to soften his skin, a deep-penetrating conditioner to nourish his locks and a nostalgic Tom Jones CD in honor of his lucky lover.

As his slender, pale form was lowered in to the milky water, he reflected on the events that had lead to this life changing night.

--

Eddy and DD had been a couple for two years now; their romance hadn't been entirely secretive, Eddy's parents being one of the few exceptions to the happy friends and relatives who had discovered the pair's union. All the same, DD had been thriving with Eddy as a lover.

He had discovered what the world had to offer with an exciting spouse. Eddy had taken DD to parties, across state lines, to thrilling amusement parks and bustling cities. He'd attained difficult-to-find concert tickets, and the energy at a rock show was enlightening.

DD had found, what he believed to be, pure bliss.

Eddy reminded him constantly how beautiful he was with those gentle hugs and rationed kisses. How vital he was to Eddy's sanity and happiness with carefully spoken words of acknowledgement. Eddy had told DD how necessary he had been to his well-being time and time again.

But DD reveled in playing nurse, and his maternal side longed to forever dote on Eddy.

To always give, and never take, as their relationship had always been.

To bless Eddy with what had he had to offer, and to thrive under Eddy's strong, albeit stubbornly unaffectionate persona.

Now that DD was an adult, in the state's and his parents' eyes, he had a home to look after.

Unbeknownst to his two best friends, DD had inherited his parent's home, and on top of his monthly allowance, the cash to pay the utility bills had been sent his way as well as more responsibility.

He felt he needed someone to share it with. And should his offer be accepted, DD would enroll at the local community college and begin his 'Thanks but no thanks' letters to the hoity-toity state colleges his parents had demanded he apply at.

--

The linen-scented candles his mother had been partial to, and the only scent that hadn't irritated his father's sinuses, filled the cold-tiled bathroom with the warmth of a home.

The white-mesh pouf he'd been gently scrubbing the daily grime away from his body with was dunked in to the warm, sudsy bathwater for a rinse before DD pulled it over one soapy, naked shin, stretched from the water for easy-access.

As the beginning of _Delilah_ began to trumpet throughout the bathroom, DD lifted himself from the deep bathtub and began to dry off meticulously with a fluffy, periwinkle towel.

In the mirror, across from the bathtub, after pulling the rubber stopper to drain the lukewarm bath water, DD took note of his scrawny form.

A form only a mother could love.

Or, more realistically in his case, only a God-sent boyfriend could love.

With a sixth deep breath, and a thankful smile at the thought of how lucky he was to have such a bright future with someone as amazing as Eddy, DD would go about his simple post-bath routine:  
Drying his hair, donning a carefully matched outfit and corresponding hat, taking one last neurotic look at the weather channel to ensure he chose the proper outerwear, and triple checking he had remembered to grab his keys, cell phone, wallet and, tonight, the small white box with the royal blue ribbon about it.

A final scan of his, truly _his_ home and DD closed his front door before proudly marching down the street to the fifth house down from him. To the purple-trimmed house beneath Jerri's Hill, where Eddy had always lived, and where DD's and his best friends' lives would change forever.


	9. Third Try's A Charm

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own or profit from the Eds~

**You _know_ the EEnE marathon inspired something in me!**

**I feel like I tried to pack waaaay too much in to this one...**

**I really need to find a beta reader.  
Any takers?  
**

_Rated:_ T for some nasty little words.

Third Try's A Charm:  
Ed's foot fell with the surprise of being caught off guard by a nearly naked DD, crashing onto the powdery pink rug, and forcing it forward with his unsteady weight. The untidy rug suddenly became trapped beneath Ed's lumbering body as he fell upon it.

Grimacing, his clumsy nature only further embarrassing him in such a delicate moment, he placed both, strong, large palms on the wooden floor beneath him, and pushed himself into a kneeling position.

At once his eyes met DD's, and the disapproving look plastered across his face could have made Ed's heart burst.

Despite the 12 inch height difference, Ed suddenly felt immeasurably small in front of DD.

'_I can't do anything right, I always mess up! I can't remember simple rules, I can't think ahead, not once! I'm so impatient and awkward…'_ His face had lowered in shame as he silently beat himself up, and only the harsh yanking of the woven rug from beneath his heavy body awakened him.

Hurrying to his feet, slipping once before finally finding stable footing, he allowed DD to remove and replace the crumpled rug. He returned his hands to his pockets, nervously shoving them deep into the denim confines as he watched DD, in all his glory, lower himself to his hands and knees to straighten the disheveled carpet.

Ed's oversized feet tapped anxiously as he looked away from the scantily clad bottom a mere four feet away from him, his cheeks burning with a discomforted blush.

Standing, DD absently pulled his shirt closed, crossing his arms over his chest to shield his body as best he could. His hardened eyes, hooded with a look of angry disbelief, locked on to Ed's sullen face.

Despite the rosy blush blooming across the young man's nose, Ed's sorrow was all too obvious.

DD's nose wrinkled in disgust that, of all people Ed was hurt. Hurt that DD wasn't coddling him as he did before? Perhaps hurt than his eternally patient companion now had no time, energy or want to be around him? He shook his head in near disbelief and turned his back on Ed, reaching for the handle of the door, which rested ajar.

"DD, wait!" Stepping forward, landing again on the pink rug, Ed reached out, one heavy hand landing on DD's shoulder.

'_I knew he'd catch me staring at his tush…he catches everything! What was I thinking!?'_ Of course that was the reason DD was turning his back on him, wasn't it?

Ed continued to mentally scold himself as DD did, in fact, stop. Turning to look at the silent oaf behind him, DD caught a rare glimpse of his former lover.

His free hand covered his eyes, his head was tilted down, and a frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. He shook his head as if responding negatively to something and suddenly dropped his hand, staring directly in to DD's red-laced, honey brown eyes.

"What happened to your face?" DD's voice was deceptively lacking in concern as an icy cold hand carefully traced the darkening bruise on the left side of Ed's face.

The touch caused Ed to jump, his hand anxiously releasing DD's shoulder and hovering near his blackened eye as he stared in confusion to DD.

Ed's thick skull allowed him little insight in to what DD was truly feeling; it could only be construed as worry. _Was_ this concern? Had DD suddenly forgiven him for all his wrong-doings? Or was this simply a trick…a ruse, an attempt at burrowing in to his mind to relinquish all the secrets Ed stored up there, much like the alien-kind in Ed's current movie fandom, _Abduction_.

The glassy look in Ed's emerald eyes gave away the boy's wandering mind, and DD's slender fingers would continue to roam the freckled face above him freely.

A few scrapes and scratches dotted Ed's prominent cheek bone, his crooked nose looked swollen and his baby face appeared more rugged than usual, withered even. The tender-looking shiner that surrounded Ed's left eye was gingerly fingered, jerking Ed back to consciousness via a painful reminder of the previous night's activity.

He looked genuinely embarrassed, one monstrous hand flying up to shield the left side of his face, in turn furthering the pain and revealing a purple bruise beneath Ed's wrist.

DD absently wondered if perhaps he truly didn't want to know where those bruises came from, who knows how Eddy reacted to a larger, more dominant lover.

A step backwards was taken by the towering twenty-year-old, his right hand snatching the hand-rail just in time to buffer his fall down the top two stairs. Lord, could Ed be any clumsier?

Huffing his exasperation, Ed knelt on the top stair, his hands falling to his lap as he surveyed the wiry boy before him.

_'I didn't mean to hurt you like I did, DD. I didn't mean to make you so angry, to break your heart the way I just _know_ I did. I only wanted everything to be better…to be the way it was! I missed you, God I missed you. I didn't know what to do with myself! I never know what to do with myself…but you had Eddy, and I had nothing. And now…now I don't even have that nothing, anymore.'  
_  
"Eddy's gone." He never could manage to put an adequate voice to his thoughts. "You're gone, too. Everyone left…"

DD's lip would curl in distaste, how dare he come blubbering in here with tales of how his lover had left him, likely for some other unsuspecting sucker, only hours after stealing said lover from DD himself. Awkward with frustration, DD's fingers attempted to button the long-sleeved pajama top he wore as he fumed down at the hulking moron beneath him.

What a cruel hand fate had dealt Ed, destined to eternal stupidity and, now loneliness. But DD hadn't any pity left for the buffoon taking up space in his, soon the bank's house. He had cleaning to do, acceptance letters to dig out of the trash, clothing to pack. He had more things to do than hours left in the day.

As he mismatched another button to a hole he would breathe a calming sigh.

"Ed, go home. I'm terribly busy and I just don't think you could even begin to comprehend how important some of the chores I have planned are." His pale face flushed with anger as he waved Ed down the stairs.

"Go on, shoo! I have much to do today, Ed." But Ed hadn't the mentality to stand just yet, let alone understand how incredibly unfeeling DD appeared.

His jaw nearly dropped at the heartlessness DD displayed, hadn't he once had feelings for Eddy too? Why didn't he care? He hadn't asked a single question…he didn't even know if Eddy had just left or been taken by bad men! How was DD being so..so..!

He stood at that, one long-legged stride bringing him face to face with DD and two strong hands easily lifting him off his feet by his upper arms. Brought to eye level, his arms restrained, Ed would shake him.

"How can you be so _selfish_, DD!?" Time and time again DD had proven his selfishness to Ed. In how he'd so coolly dumped Ed, how he easily went on living his life after tearing Ed's heart out, how he'd constantly been able to blow Ed off and sometimes even Eddy for his own 'personal' reasons, and now! How on Earth could someone care so little about another human being, especially one you'd had such an intense bond with. You'd think a decent person would at least care to know where their former lover and best friend had gone.

"SELFISH!?" DD's feet would curl upward in rage.

"How do you mean selfish, Ed?" His eyes revealed the wickedness coming to fruition within him, "Do you mean it in the literal sense, perhaps? In that I was concerned solely with my own desires and future? Hmm? In that I never put the needs or wants of others ahead of my own? Do you believe I never bent over backwards for you or your undeserving slut of a boyfriend? If he can truly be called that, after all, you two only ever see each other through bedroom eyes. That can't really be called a relationship, can it?"

The way DD's head would tilt with his quickly dispelled definition and rapid-fire questions prompted a whimper from Ed, his jaw having fallen slack.

"Or, possibly you meant the figurative sense? That I preferred my own well being to that of a lying, cheating miscreant and his bed mate? Is that what you think that word means, Ed?" Ed's face would falter with shock at the emotion displayed in front of him.

"Of course not! Because you're such an undeniably, ignorant, useless, waste of space that the definition of a word, as carelessly used as SELFISH, had never once occurred to you!" In retrospect, DD would find his hurtful words difficult to believe.

"I was not, in any way, selfish, the three years that we dated! I never cheated on you, not once! I constantly made myself available to you even after we had broken up, Ed. The first and only time I put my own mental health and safety ahead of someone else's I get called SELFISH?" Unbelievably irate, DD would rear back, coughing free the most foul and disturbing substance he could manage and spit squarely in to Ed's face.

He was dropped, a yelp of surprise accompanying the gob of spit and mucus launched in to Ed's face, and DD would tumble on to his back, groaning.

Leaning against the hallway wall, Ed wiped furiously at his assaulted eyes, disbelief obvious in his voice as he shrieked, "Who are you?!"


End file.
